TVS BOE welcomes new members

Jim Pemberton was elected as Twin Valley South’s Board of Education President.

Tim Beneke was elected as Twin Valley South’s Board of Education Vice-President.

WEST ALEXANDRIA — Twin Valley Community Local Schools Board of Education elected its 2018 Board President and Vice-President during an Organizational Meeting held on Wednesday, Jan. 10.

Jim Pemberton will be serving as president, with Tim Beneke as his vice-president. The oath of office was also administered to re-elected board member Jason DeLong, as well as new board members Christine Bitner and Matthew Lunsford.

During the organizational meeting, the topic of board member compensation was broached. Currently, board members get paid $80 per meeting, not to exceed 24 meetings in a calendar year. However, Vice-President Beneke suggested an amendment to that, stating he believes the board should be paid $100 per meeting.

Superintendent Bob Fischer explained the change in compensation would only be effective when new board members were elected. As the two new members (and one re-elected member) were already sworn in when this topic was brought up, the compensation change would only be effective for members elected (or re-elected) in 2019 and beyond.

“The state maximum is $125. I did a little investigating, because I was curious, and found out that we offer the lowest compensation for this area. Everybody else is pretty much at the state maximum,” Fischer said.

Beneke added, “I just wanted to throw this out there and see what everybody thought.”

As the issue was in the consent agenda, normally the board would have voted on it with other items in that section, however, board member Christine Bitner requested it be pulled out and be voted on individually.

“I’d like to see the other schools first, what they’re paying,” Bitner said.

“Tri-County North, National Trail, Eaton, Preble Shawnee, and the ESC are all at $125,” Fischer said. “We can pull it out though.”

The board amended the issue to state, “Establish rate of Board Member Compensation at $80 per meeting for each Board Member for each meeting of calendar year 2018, not to exceed 24 meetings in a calendar year. Effective with the 2020 calendar year, board members elected in 2019 and beyond will receive $100 compensation.”

The item passed 4-1, with Bitner voting against.

The board also established the regular meeting schedule for 2018. Unless otherwise posted, the board will meet on the fourth Monday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Media Center. The three current exceptions to this are the May, November, and December meetings.

The Twin Valley Board of Education will meet for its February meeting on Monday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. in the Media Center.

Jim Pemberton was elected as Twin Valley South’s Board of Education President.

https://www.registerherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2018/01/web1_President1.jpgJim Pemberton was elected as Twin Valley South’s Board of Education President.

Tim Beneke was elected as Twin Valley South’s Board of Education Vice-President.

https://www.registerherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2018/01/web1_President2.jpgTim Beneke was elected as Twin Valley South’s Board of Education Vice-President.